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A China's court has handed down death sentences to a group of prominent individuals of a notorious Burmese organized crime group to capital punishment as Beijing continues its campaign on scam networks in South East Asia.

Overall, 21 Bai family individuals and collaborators were found guilty of fraud, murder, injury and various offenses, stated a state media document published on the judicial portal.

The family is among a small number of mafias that gained influence in the last two decades and changed the underdeveloped backwater town of Laukkaing into a lucrative base of gambling establishments and nightlife areas.

In recent years they turned to illegal operations in which thousands of illegally moved workers, a large number of them from China, are ensnared, harmed and obligated to cheat others in criminal enterprises valued at billions of dollars.

Specifics of the Verdict

Mafia leader the patriarch and his offspring Bai Yingcang were among the five figures sentenced to execution by the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court. Yang Liqiang, A third figure and Chen Guangyi were the additional convicted.

Two members of the clan syndicate were given delayed executions. Several were given to life imprisonment, while more figures were given prison sentences varying from several years to two decades.

This family, who controlled their own private army, created 41 compounds to accommodate their cyberscam operations and gambling houses, government stated.

Magnitude of Criminal Activities

These illegal enterprises entailed more than twenty-nine billion local currency ($4.1 billion; £3.1 billion). They also caused the demise of several from China individuals, the self-inflicted death of one and numerous assaults, state media reported.

The severe sentences issued by the court are within the Chinese effort to eradicate the extensive scam networks in South East Asia - and issue a stern message to other criminal organizations.

Context of the Families

Such families rose to power in the recent decades with the help of a military leader - who currently heads Myanmar's military government. The leader had wanted to bolster partners in Laukkaing after replacing its former leader.

Within the families, the Bais were "the top", the son previously stated to official sources.

"At that time, our Bai family was the dominant in each of the government and armed arenas," the individual said in a documentary about the clan, shown on official channels in July.

During the documentary, a worker at one of fraud facilities narrated the harm he had suffered at the location: besides being assaulted, he had his nails extracted with pliers and a couple of his digits amputated with a blade.

More Allegations

The son is among those who were given to death this week. He has also been separately convicted of conspiring to trade and produce 11 tonnes of illegal drugs, state media announced.

Downfall of the Families

Their fall happened in recent times as situations changed.

Over a long period Beijing has urged the Myanmar junta to control scam schemes in the area.

Last year, the law enforcement issued detention orders for the key individuals of these clans.

Bai Suocheng, the clan's head, was included in the warlords who were extradited to Beijing from the country in the beginning of the year.

"Why is the Chinese government putting significant resources to pursue the clans?" a Chinese investigator said in the July film.

The purpose is to caution groups, no matter your position, where you are, when you engage in these heinous crimes affecting the nationals, you will face consequences."